Static gas turbines have been known for a long time from the extensive available prior art. The rotors of these turbines are commonly borne radially both at a compressor-side end and at a turbine-side end. The turbine-side radial bearing—also termed the turbine bearing—of gas turbines is located inside the exhaust-gas path of the gas turbine, in most cases immediately behind the last rotor blade row of the turbine unit. For bearing purposes, a small number of radially-extending bearing struts, that is to say four, five or six, are usually provided in the exhaust-gas path and, located in the center of these, there is an enclosure for the turbine bearing housing and the turbine-side radial bearing.
Defects on the turbine bearing, on the bearing shells or also on the bearing segments—what are termed the pads—can lead to these components having to be replaced. In the case of static gas turbines, which are commonly equipped with a housing which can be split in half along a parting plane, in the event of repairs the upper housing half of the gas turbine must be first separated from the lower housing half and then lifted off. Subsequently, the rotor—including the turbine bearing—laid in the lower housing half must be removed. Only then is it possible to remove the bearing from the rotor.
This procedure is however particularly time-consuming since, after the lengthy process of cooling down the gas turbine, a relatively long set-up time is required in order to release the housing screw connections, uncover the gas turbine and remove the rotor. Once the defective component has been repaired, the rotor must once again be laid and oriented in the lower housing half. Then, the upper housing half must be installed in order to close the gas turbine. The housing halves must therefore be fastened to each other by means of the known screw connections. All this requires a relatively long downtime for the static gas turbine.
For these reasons, there is a need to reduce the downtime for the gas turbine.